Golden Mike Going To Dennis Swanson

Dennis Swanson, president of station operations for Fox Television Stations Inc., will be honored with the 2012 Broadcasters Foundation of America Golden Mike Award at a black-tie fundraiser on Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The fundraising event will benefit the foundation’s mission to provide aid to broadcasters in need.

“A broadcast industry leader and visionary whose sweeping impact has been extensive and far-reaching, Dennis continues to donate his time and energy to serving our industry and the community,” said Philip J. Lombardo, chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation. “We strive to honor his achievements and his commitment to ‘giving back’ with the Broadcasters Foundation of America Golden Mike Award.”

Swanson, who helps manage 27 Fox owned-and-operated TV stations across the country, is credited with persuading the International Olympic Committee to stagger its winter and summer games while he was president of ABC Sports — one of the most dramatic shifts in major sports programming history — and was responsible for giving Oprah Winfrey her first daytime TV talk show during his tenure as VP-GM of WLS, the ABC O&O in Chicago.

“The Broadcasters Foundation of America is the only organization exclusively devoted to providing aid to broadcast industry colleagues who have encountered devastation and loss that has rendered them in desperate need of help,” said Swanson. “It is a privilege to be recognized by this unique charity and I encourage everyone in our business to support this noble cause.”

Prior to joining Fox, Swanson was the EVP-COO of Viacom Television Stations, where he oversaw operations of the division’s 39 stations. He has been the VP-GM of WNBC New York and station manager of KABC Los Angeles. Under his watch, ABC’s signature sports franchise, Monday Night Football, became one of the television’s top-rated primetime programs.

Swanson graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana with a master’s degree in communications in 1966, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1961.